Frugality for College Students – 13 Ways to Save Money While In College

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With so many websites and blogs discussing ways to be frugal and save money in any way you can, such as Get Rich Slowly and No Debt Plan, I started thinking about ways that college students could save money and be more frugal.

When you’re in college you don’t really think too much about saving money or figuring out ways to be more frugal. Its more about pulling out the plastic, saying “charge it”, and having a good time. While there are tons of different ways to save money, here are some of my top ones that I tried to do or wished I had tried to do.

1. Don’t go to the bar – Of course this only applied is if you are of the drinking age. But if you are, consider not going to the bar and staying at your place and drinking. Getting a case of beer or some liquor is going to be a lot cheaper than going to the bar and paying a few dollars a beer/drink. Invite your friends over and have a party – for the price of a great night at the bar, you can throw a great party at your apartment/house. When I turned 21 years old, my bank account started dropping by going to the bar. You’re friends will nag you for sure to go out with them, and its fine to do once in a while, but if you can, save the money by getting your own beer and chilling at a friends place or your own. You can take it one step further and not drink at all of course.
2. Don’t have a gym membership – Probably every university has some sort of gym or workout area that, as a student, you can utilize for free. Take advantage of it! There is no point in paying $50+ a month on a gym membership to a place like Gold’s Gym or Balley’s when you can go for free on campus. If you are going to the gym for the benefits of working with a personal trainer, start asking around campus for people to recommend another student to you. I would imagine that you could find someone within the health/foods/nutrition department that is interested in staying fit, working out, and would be willing to help you out. If it makes you feel better, you could offer to pay this person, but obviously not as much as a gym membership! Read more »
   
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